THERE is concern this Easter at a Church of England plan which could see an open-cast quarry developed in one of the most fertile valleys in Mid Devon.

Two years ago test holes were drilled on the Church Commissioners-owned farm at Winscott Barton, Newton St Cyres.

It is believed that they confirm a seam of valuable gravel, more than a metre deep, across much of the 500 acre farm.

It has been estimated that there is more than three million tonnes of gravel which could be excavated.

Tenant-farmers at Winscott Barton are Richard and Vanda Browne and family.

They have made Winscott Barton a highly-productive dairy and crop-producing farm, due not only to the much-admired farming practices adopted by Mr and Mrs Browne, but also because of the very good drainage across the whole farm, caused by, in some part, to the seam of gravel.

They have been tenant farmers for many years, following four generations of the family.

Mr and Mrs Browne told the Courier they did not want to comment publicly about the proposal yet.

They did confirm, however, that they have written to the Rt Rev Michael Langrish, the Bishop of Exeter, about the proposal.

The Church Commissioners also own land in Newton St Cyres, including the village Recreation Ground, but it has not been confirmed if this will be affected.

However, a Church of England spokesman said: "The Commissioners are aware of gravel deposits within their ownership at Newton St Cyres.

"These are not currently allocated in the Minerals Local Plan.

"A local minerals operator has expressed an interest in taking forward a planning application for extraction and this will be considered by Devon County Council as part of their review of allocated minerals within Devon."

Devon County Council's Minerals Local Plan was adopted on June 25, 2004 and seeks to strike a balance between meeting society's needs and demands for minerals and the need to minimise the impact upon the environment of mineral extraction and processing.

The Minerals Local Plan was due to lapse on September 27, 2007, but the Secretary of State directed that all but two of the Plan's policies be saved until such time as they are superseded by new policies within the County Council's emerging Mineral and Waste Development Framework

To replace the adopted Minerals and Waste Local Plans, Devon County Council says it will prepare a "Minerals and Waste Development Framework" which will be a "portfolio" containing several separate documents: 1. Minerals and Waste Development Scheme Second Revision, 2. Statement of Community Involvement, 3. Annual Monitoring Report, 4. Minerals Development Documents, 5. Waste Development Documents.

A Devon County Council spokesperson told the Courier that it had received no planning application for mineral extraction from land in Newton St Cyres.

It is believed that a mining company from Newton Abbot is behind the proposal but no details of when a planning application may be submitted have been revealed.

Local residents, who are considering forming a campaign group against the mining proposal, said they did not want to see a "lovely, fertile valley ruined".

A spokesperson, who asked not to be named, said: "Roads in the area are just not up to heavy lorries transporting gravel. In addition to the roads, the bridges are not up to it and I think some of them are listed."

Another local resident, who also did not want to be named, said: "It is immoral to have a quarry on such quality land in Newton St Cyres when you consider that there is a world shortage of food."

A spokesman for Newton St Cyres Parish Council confirmed that it will be discussing the proposal at its meeting on April 12.

• What do you think of the proposal for an open-cast quarry involving strip-mining at Newton St Cyres? Let us know at the Courier by emailing Alan Quick at: editor@creditoncourier

newspaper.co.uk .